Combination stepladder and chair



May 31, 1927.

A. I. JOHNSON COMBINATION STEP LADDER AND CHAIR Filed Sept. 15. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 192 May 7 A. 2. JOHNSQN COMBINATION STEP LADDER AND CHAIRBSheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1926 NE? a72fo7? l atented May 31, 1927.

outrun STATES AUGUST I. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION STEPLADDER AND CHAIR.

Application filed September 13, 1926. Serial No. 135,036.

The object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novelstructure which, when opened, may be employed as a chair or as a lowstep ladder having a support for a pail or the like convenient to aperson standing on the structure; and which, when closed, takes up verylittle space.

Although in its most fully developed form my invention contemplatestheuse of-a combined chair back and pail support-,at is evident thatsome of the advantages of my invention may be realized in a simple stepladder construction. Therefore, viewed in one of its aspects, thepresentinvention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple andnovel collapsible step ladder that will take up very little space whencollapsed or folded up. I

Again, while the, capacity of the ladder to collapse and the. combinedback and pad support are best employed together, my lin proved chairback and pail support may be used on stepladders, whether they becollapsible or not; and therefore, viewed in another of its aspects, myinvention maybe said to have for its object to produce a simple andnovel device that will serve both as a pail support on a step ladder oras a chair back when the ladder 1S being used as a chain, l

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterizedwill herelnafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims:but-,for a full understanding of my invention and of .its objects andadvantages, reference may be had to the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherem:

l igin'e l is a side ElBVtIUOIl of my 1mproved device ready for use as achair or step ladder, the element forming the back of the chair beingshown 111 dotted l1nes in a position it occupies when serving-as a support for a pail; Fig. 9 is a rear view of the device, the brace for theseat back and pa l support being shown in full lines in oneposition andindotted lines in another position; Fi 3 is "vertical section on a planeex- 17 tending from front to rear through the device opened as shown inl gs. 1 and 2; Fig. l is aside view of the device, w1th the back andpail support removed, showing the de- Vice in its folded condition; andFig. 5 is a perspective view of the detachable back and pail support.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a,

short ladder section, that may conveniently be similar to thecorresponding part of any usual step ladder; and? is a rear leg sectionor support, which may also take any usual or preferred form, such asthat of the corresponding part of any ordinary step ladder. Above themembers 1 and 2 is a horizontal member -lthat serves as the top of thestep ladder and as the seat when the device is used as a chair. Themember 3 is secured to the members 1 and 2 by means of hinges,constructed that the member 3 may be swung upward about its hinge withthe leg device or support '2, and bring the ladder section 1 beside andparallel with the me1nher 2, as shown in Fig. l. These hinges may takevarious forms. In the arrangement shown, there are two sets of thesehinges, one on each side of the device. Each set of hinges mayconveniently consist of a single double hinge comprising a long cent'alleaf 4 and shorter leaves 5 and 6 at the ends thereof. The leaves a aresecured to the underside of the table or seat 3;= the leaves are securedto the rear of the ladder section 1; while the leaves (5 are securedtothe rear side of the brace or leg section Thus the long leaves a passover the top of the leg or brace section 2. If desired, each of theleaves a may have thereon a projecting shoulder '7 to form with thecorresponding hinge leaves 6 a pocket into which the upper ends of theside bars of the member 2 fit when the structure is opened. The laddersection and the brace section may be connected together by meansof apair of metal bars 8 pivoted at their ends to these sections. These barsmust of course be so located that they willpermit the openlng andshutting of the ladder; the position of these bars, and their lengths,depending upon the angles of the sections 1 and 2 and the distancebetween the same at the top. When the ladder is open, the bars hold itagainst spreading too far. i

Further rigidity may be given to the structure, when opened, by means ofa brace 9 that may conveniently take the form ofa light rod bent intothe form of a V hung from its apex, by means of a clip 10, from theunderside of the table or seat 3 near the front end of the ladder. Thefree ends of the rod 9 are bent laterally at right angles as indicatedat 11, so as to permit them to be inserted in sockets 112 fastened tothe side bars or pieces of the leg or brace section 2.

hen the ladder is opened and the ends of the brace 9 hooked into thesockets 12, the structure is locked against collapsing or spreading;but, When it is desired to collapse the structure, the hook ends of thebrace 9 may easily be withdrawn from the cooperating sockets so astopermit the three main sections of the device to be swung relatively toeach other.

The utility of comparatively low step ladders, such as are illustrated,is greatly enchanced by so designing the ladders that they may be usedas chairs. I have therefore provided the ladder with an additionalsection that will constitute a back to a chair of which the tablesection dfoi' ns the seat. Furthermore when one of these short laddersis being employed for the purpose of washing or doing otheroverhead workthat requires the use of a pail or of a thing that must be reached fromtime to time, it is very desirable that there be a support for such pailor other device. I have therefore formed that section that constitutesthe back of a chair in such a manner that a portion thereof may betransformed into a horizontal platform raised from the table or seatofthe structure, for supporting a pail or other device at, a considerableelevation above such table or seat.

The combined. back and pail support may of course take various forms. Inthe arrangement shown, this device comprises a pair of uprights 14 and15 rigidly connected by a crosspiece 16, extending between them at abouttheir middle. Between the upper ends of the members lat and 15 is apanel 17 about halt of which projects above the upper ends of thesemen'lbers. The panel is provided, near its side edges, midway be'- tweenthe top and bottom, with elements having suitable trunnions 18 thatproject outwardly beyond the sides of the panel. These trunnions extendinto or through sockets or bearings 19 located on the rear side of thesupporting frame made up of the pieces 14:, 15 and 16.

At the rearedge of the seat or table 3 areone or more seats or sockets,opening upwardly, into which the cross bar 16 of the combined back andpail support may be set. In the arrangement shown there are two strongmetal clips 20, fastened to the rear portion of the table or seat 3. thebar 16 being adapted to rest in these clips,with the lower portions of:the'bars l i and 15 bearing against the rear edges oli the side bars orpieces of the leg or brace section 52 oi the ladder. H y

WVhen the ladder is to be stored away, the back section is detached, andthe ladder collapsed as shown in Fig. 4:; but when it isto be usedeither as a ladder or a chair, or both, it is opened as shown in Figs. 1

andZ, and, the back section is applied thereto.

a platform or a support at a considerable distance above the seat ortable 3; so that a pail resting on this platform, is within convenientreach of a person standing on the ladder The pail support must be heldagainst displacement out of its horizontal position, when used as asupporting device. This may conveniently be accomplished by attaching tothe rear side of the panel 17 a brace rod 521 similar to the brace 9;the rod 21 being bent into a V-shape and being hung from its apex fromthe upper portion of the panel 21, by a suitable fastening device 22.The tree ends of the rod 21 are bent laterally, as indicated at 23, toprovide portions to enter sockets in some stationary part of the ladderstructure, when the panel 17 is swung into a horizontal position. Thesockets necessary for this purpose may conveniently he formed as partotthe clips 20, as indicated at 2st. lVhen the panel is swung into ahorizontal position, the two arms of the brace 21 are pressed togetherso as to permit the free ends to he brought into the space between thesockets 2%. Then,

upon releasing the arms after the ends 23 have been brought intoregistration with the sockets, the ends 23 will enter the sockets andthus lock the panel in a horizontal positionuntil the brace is againdisconnected;

. While I have illustrated and described with particularity onlya singlepreferred form o'l my invention, I do not desire to be limited to. theexact structural details thus illustrated and described; but. intend tocover all forms and ar angements which come within the definitions of myinven tion constituting the appended claims.

l. A step ladder having a member projecting above the top along one edgeof the latter, said member having a movable part adapted to be swungbetween an upright position and a horizontal position, a rod bent into aV -and hinged at the apex to said movable part near, a irec and lot thelatter, and sockets on the ladder in position to receive the ends 01'said red when said movable part is in itshorizontalposition and locksaid part in thatposition.

2. A step ladder having a top large enough to constitute a chair seat,sockets at the rear edge of said top, a chair back detachably y fittedin said sockets, said chair I'll near opposite sides of the ladder andeX- 10 tending past said leg'member, one of the end leaves of each hingebeing secured to the ladder member and the other end leaf of each hingebeing secured to the le member.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifi- 15 cation.

AUGUST I. JOHNSON.

